The House recently passed an emergency bill to address a critical $3 billion budget shortfall facing the Department of Veterans Affairs VA as millions of veterans’ benefits could be at risk.
The legislation, which received bipartisan support, allocates around $2.9 billion in additional funding to the VA.
Most of this funding $2.3 billion will support the Veterans Benefits Administration for compensation and pensions, while about $597 million is directed toward readjustment benefits.
Rep. Mike Garcia R-Calif., who spearheaded the effort, emphasized the importance of accountability and oversight in preventing further financial issues at the VA, stating that veterans deserve better than bureaucratic mismanagement.
The shortfall was attributed to the 2022 PACT Act, which expanded veteran care and led to increased enrollments and applications for benefits.
The bill, known as the Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act, mandates oversight measures, requiring the VA secretary to report on budget assumptions and improvement strategies.
Additionally, the VA’s inspector general must review the circumstances surrounding the shortfall.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where members hope for swift approval before a potential government shutdown on Sept. 30. Senate leaders, including Sen. Jon Tester D-Mont. and Sen. John Boozman R-Ark., are pushing for speedy passage, with the VA warning that delays in funding beyond Sept. 20 could affect veterans’ compensation and benefits, particularly for those receiving paper checks.